To feed my plaint with horroure and with feare! Many comparisons are introduced by the distressed speaker. But it is common for the best poets to forget that they are describing what is only related or spoken. The captive Proteus has his simile of the nightingale; and Eneas decorates his narrative of the disastrous conflagration of Troy with a variety of the most laboured comparisons. Buckingham in his reproaches against the traitorous behaviour of his ancient friend Banastre, utters this forcible exclamation, which breathes the genuine spirit of revenge, and is unloaded with poetical superfluities. Hated be thou, disdainde of everie wight, And in this sort, with shame and sharpe reproch, The ingenious writers of these times are perpetually deserting propriety for the sake of learned allusions. Buckingham exhorts the peers and princes to remember the fate of some of the most renowned heroes of antiquity, whose lives and misfortunes he relates at large, and often in the most glowing colours of poetry. Alexander's murther of Clitus is thus described in stanzas, pronounced by the poet and not by Buckingham. And deeply grave within your stonie harts The launced speare he writhes out of the wound, He calls for death, and loathing longer life, And plungde in depth of death and dolours strife Yet chose he death, to guerdon death withall. This prince, whose peere was never under sunne, His bloudy handes himselfe could not abide, But folly bent with famine to have dide; The worthie prince deemed in his regard That death for death could be but just reward. Our MIRROUR, having had three new editions in 1563, 1571, and 1574, was reprinted in quarto in the year 15874, with the addition of many new lives, under the conduct of John Higgins. Higgins lived at Winsham in Somersetshire. He was educated at Oxford, was a clergyman, and engaged in the instruction of youth. As a preceptor of boys, on the plan of a former collection by Nicholas Udal, a celebrated master of Eton school, he compiled the FLOSCULI OF TERENCE, a manual famous in its time, and applauded in a Latin epigram by the elegant Latin encomiast Thomas Newton of Cheshire. In the pedagogic character he also published "HOLCOT'S DICTIONARIE, newlie corrected, amended, set in order, and enlarged, with many names of men, townes, beastes, fowles, etc. By which you may finde a killed: manqueller is murderer. b This edition, printed by Thomas Marshale, has 160 leaves, with a table of contents at the end. This edition, printed also for T. Marshe, is improperly enough entitled "The Last Parte of the Mirrour for Magistrates," &c. But it contains all that is in the foregoing editions, and ends with Jane Shore, or Shore's Wife. It has 163 leaves. In the title page the work is said to be "Newly corrected and amended." They are all in quarto, and in black letter. [The propriety of this title is now substantiated, by the discovery of an edition of Higgins's work, unknown to War-ton. It was printed by Marsh in 1574, and entitled "The First Parte of the Mirrour for Magistrates," &c. This will explain the language of Higgins quoted in the ensuing note.-PRICE.] d But in the Preface Higgins says he began to prepare it twelve years before. In imitation of the title, a story-book was published called The Mirrour of Mirth, by R. D. 1583. bl. lett. 4to. Also The Mirrour of the Mathematikes, A Mirrour of Monsters, &c. [The Mirror of Mutabilitie, or principall part of the Mirror for Magistrates by Ant. Munday, was printed in 1579; and a Mirror of Magnanimitie, by Crompton, appeared in 1599. Ritson added the following throng of kindred titles: The Mirroure of Golde, printed by Pinson The Myrror of the Latin Tonge, &c. The Theatre, or Mirror of the World, 1569. e Dedication, ut infr. f In TERENTII FLOSCULOS N. Udalli et J. Higgini opera decerptos. Encom. fol. 128. It was also prefixed to the book, with others. the Latine or Frenche of anie Englishe worde you will. By John Higgins, late student in Oxefordes." In an engraved title-page are a few English verses. It is in folio, and printed for Thomas Marshe at London, 1572. The dedication to sir George Peckham, knight, is written by Higgins, and is a good specimen of his classical accomplishments. He calls Peckham his principal friend, and the most eminent patron of letters. A recommendatory copy of verses by Churchyard the poet is prefixed, with four Latin epigrams by others. Another of his works in the same profession is the NOMENCLATOR of Adrian Junius, translated into English, in conjunction with Abraham Flemming, and printed at London, for Newberie and Durham, in 1585h. It is dedicated in Latin to his most bountiful patron Doctor Valentine, master of Requests, and dean of Wells, from Winsham1, 1584. From this dedication, Higgins seems to have been connected with the school of Ilminster, a neighbouring town in Somersetshirek. He appears to have been living so late as the year 1602; for in that year he published an Answer to William Perkins, a forgotten controversialist, concerning Christ's descent into hell, dedicated from Winsham. To the MIRROUr for MagistrATES Higgins wrote a new INDUCTION in the octave stanza; and without assistance of friends, began a new series from Albanact the youngest son of Brutus, and the first king of Albanie or Scotland, continued to the emperor Caracalla1. In this edition by Higgins, among the pieces after the Conquest, first appeared the Life of CARDINAL WOLSEY, by Churchyardm; of SIR NICHOLAS BURDET, by Baldwine [Higgins]"; and of ELEANOR COBHAM, and of Humfrey Duke of GloucesTERP, by Ferrers. Also the Legend of KING JAMES THE FOURTH OF SCOTLAND, said to have been penned g Perhaps at Trinity college, where one of both his names occurs in 1566. h Octavo. i The Dedication of his Mirrour for Magistrates is from the same place. He says, that he translated it in London. "Quo facto, novus interpres Waldenus, Ilmestria gymnasiarcha, moriens, priusquam manum operi summam admovisset, me amicum veterem suum omnibus libris suis et hoc imprimis Nomenclatore [his translation] donavit." But Higgins found his own version better, which he therefore published, yet with a part of his friend's. 1 At fol. 108. a. The two last lives in the latter, or what may be called Baldwin's part of this edition, are Jane Shore and Cardinal Wolsey by Churchyard. Colophon, "Imprinted at London by Henry Marshe, being the assigne of Thomas Marshe neare to saint Dunstanes churche in Fleetestreete, 1587." It has 272 leaves. The last signature is M m 4. [This, it seems, had been fraudulently claimed by some other writer, since Churchyard complains of being " denied the fathering of a work that had won so much credit." He at the same time protests before God and the world, that Shore's wife was his penning, and he would be glad to vindicate his open wrong with the best blood in his body, did not his old years utterly forbid such combat.-This anecdote occurs before a reprint of Shore's Wife, augmented by 21 stanzas, in Churchyard's Challenge, 1593. Nash, probably in reference to the above, thus complimented the old courtpoet in the same year:-"Shore's Wife is young, though you be stept in years; in her shall you live, when you are dead." Foure Letters Confuted, &c. Antony Chute published, in 1593, "Beautie Dishonoured, written under the title of Shore's Wife," in six-line stanzas. Vid. infra, p. 233, note J.-PARK.] fiftie yeares ago, and of FLODDEN FIELD, said to be of equal antiquity, and subscribed FRANCIS DINGLEYS, the name of a poet who has not otherwise occurred. Prefixed is a recommendatory poem in stanzas by the above-mentioned Thomas Newton of Cheshire', who understood much more of Latin than of English poetry*. The most poetical passage of Higgins's performance in this collection is in his Legend of QUEENE CORDILA, or Cordelia, king Lear's youngest daughter". Being imprisoned in a dungeon, and coucht on strawe, she sees amid the darkness of the night a griesly ghost approach, Eke nearer still with stealing steps shee drewe: Shee was of colour pale and deadly hewe. Her garment was figured with various sorts of imprisonment, and pictures of violent and premature death. Her clothes resembled thousand kindes of thrall, Cordelia, in extreme terror, asks, .. What wight art thou, a foe or fawning frend? Now if thou art to dye no whit afrayde Here shalt thou choose of instruments, beholde, Shall rid thy restlesse life." DESPAIR then, throwing her robe aside, shows Cordelia a thousand instruments of death, knives, sharp swordes, and ponyards, all bedyde with bloode and poysons. She presents the sword with which queen Dido slew herself. "Lo! here the blade that Dido of Carthage hight," &c. Cordelia takes this sword, but doubtfull yet to dye. DESPAIR then represents to her the state and power which she enjoyed in France, her troops of attendants, and the pleasures of the court she had left. She then points out her present melancholy condition and dreary situation. She shewde me all the dongeon where I sate, The dankish walles, the darkes, and bade me smell Fol. 255 b. $ Fol. 258 b. t Subscribed THOMAS NEWTONUS, Ceystreshyrius, 1587. * [This appears from his tribute to Heywood the epigrammatist, cited at p. 94 of this volume. He has a copy of Latin verses prefixed to R. Rabbard's translation of Ripley's Compound of Alchymy, 1591.-PARK.] u Fol. 36 b. Cordelia gropes for the sword, or fatall knife, in the dark, which DESPAIR places in her hand. DESPAYRE to ayde my senceless limmes was glad, And gave the blade to end my woes she bad. At length, Cordelia's sight fails her so that she can see only DEspair, who exhorts her to strike. And by her elbowe DEATH for me did watch. DESPAIR at last gives the blow. The temptation of the Redcrosse knight by DESPAIR in Spenser's FAERIE QUEENE, seems to have been copied, yet with high improvements, from this scene. These stanzas of Spenser bear a strong resemblance to what I have cited from CORDELIA'S Legend. Then gan the villainew him to oueraw, And brought unto him swords, ropes, poysons, fire, And all that might him to perdition draw; And bade him chuse what death he would desire: For death was due to him that had prouokt God's ire. But when as none of them he sawe him take, As it a running messenger had beene. At last, resolv'd to worke his finall smart He lifted up his hand that backe againe did start.* The three first books of the FAERIE QUEENE were published in 1590; Higgins's Legend of Cordelia in 1587 [1574]. At length the whole was digested anew with additions, in 1610, by Richard Niccols, an ingenious poet, of whom more will be said hereafter, under the following title: "A MIRROUR FOR MAGISTRATESY, being a true Chronicle-history of the untimely falles of such vnfortunate princes and men of note as have happened since the first entrance of Brute into this Iland vntill this our age. NEWLY ENLARGED with a last part called a WINTER NIGHT'S VISION being an addition of such Tragedies especially famous as are exempted in the former Historie, with a poem annexed called ENGLANDS ELIZA. At London, imprinted by Felix Kyngston, 1610"." Niccols arranged his edition thus. w That is, Despair. * Faer. Qu. i. x. 50. Of the early use in the middle ages of the word Speculum, as the title of a book, see Joh. Finnaeus's Dissertatio historica-Litteraria, prefixed to the |